Getting closer and closer to producing a melody, one note at a time.
Feel free to leave a comment, but please note that I don't accept friend requests from people I've never spoken to.
Plans for 2025
2022 and 2023 were splendid years for anime for me! I got my On-Hold and Watching in order and decided on a new way to watch seasonals - and then I barely watched anything in 2024, aaargh. So uh.... what's left? Well, my Plan-To-Watch deserves some recognition and love... and in the long term, I actually kinda wanna use it as what it is - a Plan-To-Watch that deserves more priority than random seasonals. I'm cutting down on seasonals in general as well - less shows advertising manga that may never get a continuation, and more backlog. Once a show sold me on its source material (or deterred me from it lol), and unless it's exceptional in a different way - I'll drop it. I need to cut down on the seasonal slog of "If I don't finish it now, I may not get back to it" - if it's meant to be, it'll make its way back to me one way or another. For all that previously had space on my PTW because it was vaguely "interesting" - thank MAL for "Interest" stacks!
- This year I'll finally for real make my Top-100 list
- I'll stop adding to my PTW for now - I wanna watch my accumulated Secret Santa recommendations as well as an Interest Stack that was made for me as a challenge. The only exception may be upcoming exceptionally interesting shows, or shows that'll release online or something.
- I want to finish the following shows I'm bringing into the year with me:
Kodocha, Ranma, YGO GX
My dropped List is a mess, but even stuff I would be interested in revisiting stays there for now. Once again - thank MAL for Interest Stacks! Custom List categories next?
[This year I'm retiring my Challenges, as I instead try to watch less anime in favour of engaging more with other mediums, such as films, books and games. Maybe just putting less of my plate to begin with will help with finishing everything up]
Other things I'm watching:
Kamen Rider W (2/49)
Community (S 1 22/26)
Currently playing:
Final Fantasy IX (Switch)
Final Fantasy I (GBA)
unlikely to be comprehensive, but I'm trying
Dance with Devils x 1 (never again)
Kekkai Sensen x 2 (I actually got into the flow!)
Kekkai Sensen & Beyond x1 (Love)
Gatchaman Crowds x 2
Gatchaman Crowds: Insight x 2
Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon x 3
3-Gatsu no Lion x 2
Azumanga Daioh x 1
Clannad x 1
Clannad After Story x 1
Baccano! x 1
ef - A Tale of Memories x 1
Elfen Lied x 1
FLCL x 1
Howl's Moving Castle x 1
Inou-Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de x 1
Interstella5555 x 1
Love Stage!! x1 (not again)
Ouran High School Host Club x 2
Princess Tutu x 1
Lupin III - Cagliostro no Shiro x 1
Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica x 4
Mugen no Ryvius x 1
Paranoia Agent x 1
Spice and Wolf x 1
Hamefura x 1 (not a good decision...)
Shirobako x 1
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu (both Seasons) x 1
Code Geass x 1
My journey really started once I got into Seasonals all the way back in 2015 after sporadically watching whatever looked interesting or was recommended to me. And after applying the 3-episode rule for two more seasons, I was set to sail.
Now I'm always eager to try everything and expand my palate that way, and that's way more fun and fruitful to me than always just sticking to your favorites.
There are more shows that just won me over unexpectedly than I can count.
That's not to say I don't have preferences, but some of these are everchanging, so it always pays off one way or another to look beyond.
I used to watch most of my seasonal anime weekly, but once I got a full-time job, I just couldn't keep up anymore, so now I still check most if not everything out, pick and choose, and watch all of it at a time I can decide over my pace myself. There are so many older shows much better only waiting to be discovered, too.
Anime has become a bit of a treasure hunt to me, but one I thoroughly enjoy even through the less fruitful parts of my explorations.
Challenges, Events on MAL etc.
I'm probably gonna implement some of my preferences in Games, Movies and such as well, but for now; Go check out Bojack Horseman and go read Johnny the Homicidal Maniac.
And go play Kingdom Hearts II and Persona 5!
Somebody once told me that your favorites are roughly gonna consist of 10% of all anime you've seen, and inspired by that, I made my very own list, too. A List without context is a bit dry and not really saying anything, though... eventually, I will be able to voice my feelings on all of them. This list will be reworked in 2024!
Also, if a show that's part of a bigger franchise consisting of multiple shows shows up in my favorites down below, I usually like the entirety of it, and what you see down there is only my favorite part of said franchise I chose to represent all of it. It'd be sorta boring if my favorites only consisted of 3 - 4 different franchises, after all.
Another list I finally made in 2021 is My Anime Exile, where shows go that needlessly make my list look bigger than it is and which I don't remember in the slightest.
(And yes, I have seen that you were there Artem!)
More favorite characters
The amount of characters I grew to love over time far exceeds the amount of them I can show off in the favorites below, so I decided to have them here - baiscally as my honorable mentions.
There are a lot of characters I want to draw attention too, they are one of the most vital parts of my experience and love of Anime after all. These mentions are sure to expand over time! And while I won't add a date to any of these entries, if it's there, I still hold very true to it, be that an entry I made 5 days or 5 years ago. (Entries I don't feel represent my thoughts anymore were moved to my MAL-blog)
Tachibana Marika
Marika is the girl I want to see succeed. She's the most adorable, she's the most honest - and I've gotten sick of dumb girls who refuse to admit to their feelings yet still feel entitled or couldn't get one word out of their mouth if their lives depended on it.
Marika doesn't backstab the other girls and her love feels very earnest. It's very understandable, why she loves Raku as much as she does, and even though she went through the years, convinced that they were practically married already, she still committed all of her time to learning abilities she believes will help her making him happy. Her earnest efforts, her open display of her feelings, her surprisingly timid site when Raku returns a part of her feelings... she is adorable, lovable and cute, the voice performance by Asumi Kana really complements her and I don't think I was ever rooting harder for a girl to win the guy.
Kurokami Medaka
Medaka always tries and succeeds in bringing out the best in the people surrounding her - as well as everyone crossing her path - even if it's not easy or endangering her own life. She is amazing at everything and while that is a tiny bit too much sometimes, it fits her character. She is reckless, has absolutely no qualms about exposing herself or physical contact and it's really, really charming, because there is just such an amount of good will behind it all. While the show dragged a bit at times, she always kept me going and even motivates me to just keep going with my very own efforts in my skills. I just can't help but to feel happy whenever she resolved another request. And while I found her character design to be a bit overbearing at first, it fits her personality really well and adds to her character.
May she eventually become world president and rule us all with motherly love!
Kuujou Jotaro
My relationship with Jotaro is complicated. The more I thought about it, the more I realized, that I really love him, despite his flaws... Part of it is probably because I got to follow him throughout many years of his life. I saw him going from an angry, easily annoyed, disinterested teenager - who still goes through a lot to save his mother whom he doesn't show that much affection towards otherwise - to a rather quiet, somewhat melancholic man... it feels very real. He has grown unbelievably patient, he has a child...there sure are blanks to be filled, but I have a lot of fun doing that. And I love how there is so much about him that is never said, not by him, not by anyone else.
He worked well with the other characters in part 3, comedically and through their comradery, but he still felt like a rather typical, cool, sort of boring shounen protagonist... but there is so, so much more about him. He changed so much, he has so many new strengths... and still is pretty damn dense, but so good with children... and I am still figuring out what all of this means to me.
Waver Velvet
I liked this little guy right from the get-go. His struggles were relatable enough for me, I like his work ethics - because despite how he acts, he still works hard and does only want to be recognized for his work, too - but the way he develooped throughout the show made me outright fall in love with him. His banter with Iskandar never failed to amuse me, it was even touching in places and the way their relationship developed was just too strong. Also, his Tsundere tendencies are adorable. And in the end, despite what everyone thought, he pretty much wins the show. He definitely does in terms of personal development and ended up as my favorite because of it.
Kanoe Yuuko
Yuuko carries the entire show for me. She is a bit clingy, but mischivous in a charming way, both beautiful and really cute and upbeat. Something about all this really drew me in and I couldn't help but be happy for how everything went for her, no matter how bland the boy she ended up forming a relationship with was. She deserves every shred of happiness she ended up receiving.
Okazaki Tomoya
You can't help but root for Tomoya after all that happens to him. He is overly bitter and had given up on a lot of things in life... until he decides to look out for someone else. Life can be shitty and full of seemingly neverending hardships, but it is doable. There will be betterment. At a certain point in my life, I was him. Wisecracking and all, but basically complacent with how my life was going, despite hating it. I never had a Nagisa in my life, but nevertheless, I ended up working for my happiness and while things could be a lot better they could also be a lot worse. I can't not love Tomoya and root for him until he gets there himself. I just want to give him a hug and promise him things will get better, even when there seems no hope left. Tomoya is clever, funny, but also distant, disinterested... but e overcomes all of that and slowly turns into a person who can lead a happy life. And I couldn't be happier for him.
Kawashima Ami
Ami is out of place at high school. She appears so much older than her classmates just because of her experience. She knows how to be liked by people - or rather, how to get them to like a facade she puts up, but only later realizes what she wants. And ultimately, she's unable to get as much into the highschooler life as anyone else. Her frustrations and her jealousy towards Taiga - while certainly not justifying her actions - are still very understandable. I enjoyed her personality and humor and how she managed to walk the tightrope of a well-balanced character with a lot of flaws, but never to the point of unilkability once you get to know her.
Bruno Buccellati
Where do I even start with Bruno. He is calm, cool, creative, but also very caring in an endearing way. It certainly is indicative that he shares his birthday with Joseph Joestar, too. There are similar qualities about them that attract me, even though they're so different in character.
Bruno has a goal he is willing to do everything for, he's willing to die if it's for what he believes to be right. And he keeps going despite everything being stacked against him from a certain point onwards. He loves children and almost acts like a surrogate mother to some of his underlings. He's who keeps some of them in check even and, together with Gio, brings out the most in them. He's easily my favorite character of the entire part and despite being unable to fully put it into words right now.
Plus, he was the first JoJo character I ever met and played in the game years before I got around to reading the manga, so that's a neat little connection.
Kaiki Deishu
A conman through and through, Kaiki loves to swindle gullible teenagers out of money. He has probably caused more harm than good. But he is a voice of reason in this flood of cute girls, apparitions and panty shots. He sees the problems of those girls from the perspective on an adult rather than the teenage way and thus, is able to solve Nadeko's problems without further bloodshed. Watching him is highly entertaiing and his grounded perspective on things is very well appreciated. He isn't a sociopath who cares for no one, but he chose a rather sketchy way of living in this sketchy, untrusting and untrustworthy world of his. And despite how much Senjougahara seems to hate him initially, even their relationship goes much deeper and in his roundabout way, he attempted to help her and failed. He is arguably a bit of a villain and very lovable in the way he combines both, villainy and the sometimes unconditional help he offers to very lost teenagers.
Nagato Yuki
I got to watch the show twice with two different Nagato-enthusiasts, and Yuki is a little tough to figure out, but once I had, I could barely take my eyes off of her. Especially after a certain winter incident that followed a certain summer incident. She has to endure so much, feeling emotion, but being physically unable to show them and having to go along with everything a certain somebody sugests, no matter how much she'd rather read or program. And then finally, finally meeting someone who is able to understand her regardless (although still somewhat ignorant at times).
Observing her to see the many ways in which she subtly expresses herself has become my favorte part of the show - that had plenty more to offer, too - and all I wish is for a certain somebody to just accept that piece of paper and make her happy.
Killua Zoldyck
Killua is something else. Carefree and mischievous, fun-loving, but also mysterious, even edgy on the outside - but with a rich personality so much deeper than that.
Seeing him and Gon's banter - and borderline Boke/Tsukkomi - never fails to make me smile and feel fuzzy. And out of all the characters, Killua definitely goes through the most development.
From keeping people at a distance, only to realize that he wants to get closer. Realizing what comes with truly caring about another person, and finding the willingness to accept all of it.
Self-improvement and getting away from the ties of a toxic family are strong motives with him, but at the same time, he's still very much an adorable, 12 year old kid who is on an adventure with his best friend for life. He has fun, he made friends, real bonds with other people... and I love watching him every step of his long, long adventurous path.
Natsuki Subaru
The Otaku who got sent to another world - but has no special powers whatsoever except one very lonely save point power. Regardless of some of his experiences reflecting some of my hardest times with Fire Emblem - he is a very well-rounded character with a very relatable arc. You thought he was the worst after what he did to the person he loves out of pure ego and self-entitlement? Well, he himself agrees with you and it's heartbreaking. People in this world don't think of his strange behaviour as charming - for the most part - they, too, find it irritating. But he carves out his place. Unable to let go of his antics completely, but that's just how this works - behavioural changes never happen over night, but a sudden epiphany can cause small but significant changes much faster. It has happened to me, too. Subaru is lovable because he is very, very flawed, but decides to work regardless. He realizes he can't just get a thing because he really, really wants it, but instead has to work for all the most important elements of his life. And just like he got told in one of the most emotional scenes of Anime in 2016 - even when he can't see it or allows himself to see it, he still undeniably has his good parts and that's an important basis. There still is a long way to go for him, but I'll be there with him until the end, no matter what kinds of choices he makes.
Phosphophylite "I envy my younger self for how spoiled they were, even though they never realized."
Being the youngest in a big family with everything being done before and being more fragile than almost everyone else limits what you can see yourself doing in life. In Phos' case, loafing around was an option that didn't bring the fulfillment they hoped for, so the search for a new task began. And despite varying interested in any other given tasks, Phos never loses sight of that one major goal. A lot of things in their life break, but instead of sitting around crying, Phos decides to replace those things, even if it isn't the same as before. They are likable from the get-go and all the way through, but their willingness and ability to change, even though it may not even make them happier, just because it seems the right thing to do and it's what they want. They choose what interests them and what they feel everyone needs to know about over potentially more convenient ignorance. Phos' world is a a rich and interesting, yet very mysterious one and I'm just a interested as they are to see where it all leads.
That's not to say I have a deep reason for every single character I really like. Sometimes it's just the aesthetic, a few lovable traits well-combined or the overall package.
I love girls who use "Boku" when referring to themselves, I don't know why.
Please marry me if you read this.
Of course I don't just enjoy Anime characters - here's a couple more from games and such. Yes, some of them do have anime equivalents, but let's be honest, it's rare that all of what I like about them shines just as much in an adaptation.
Spoilers incoming
Let's be clear about one thing; Goro Akechi is a serial murderer and nothing excuses that. He is a horrible person lashing out on innocent people, destroying their lives for petty, selfish reasons. And with how he was given the same heart-and-mind-changing power his archrival got, he could've easily chosen to use it for good. I'm not goinig to make excuses for any of that.
Rather... he is a character who had all the talent of the world and chose to throw it away. But why? Was he really damaged beyond repair?
Goro continues to fascinate me with all of what he left us with. A very strong father and possible victim complex kept him from acknowledging his own hard work attaining the status of a popular, handsome teenage ace detective. He throws it all away in an attempt to earn the respect of his piece of shit father. And after that, despite knowing what an actual monster he is, I can't hate him. I can't help but imagine how things would have gone for him if he, like he said, met someone like Joker earlier in life. Things would have been different. And with all the parallels him and his rival got going, it isn't entirely unlikely that he, too, could've fallen off the deep end.
It's just so damn tragic. It doesn't help that I can relate quite a lot to him. Sure, a lot of it was manipulating the public, trying to gain his rival's favor so he could easily get rid of him, but in the end... instead of going down together with him, Goro sacrifices himself. He chooses to help him and his friends take down his father, instead of holding on to his revenge.
There is a distinct possibility Goro just didn't want his father to "get away with it" and realized that only Joker and his friends will be able to take him down, but the way he looks at Joker, the way he's fixated on him, the way he on multiple occasions ends up wanting his attention as well... there more I dig, the more treasure I find with him.
A character who prides herself in a profession I am very fascinated with and could ultimately see myself ending up in? Check. A cool, calm and logical demeanor and basing conclusions on facts? Check. A core that loves nerd stuff, cute things and is scared of ghosts? Double check.
Emiliana is the rival to Professor Layton's Daughter in her own game, but is so much more likable than her. She has layers, she's adorable and competent, and among the few people to call Katrielle out on her bullshit. What's not to love?
Season Favoritesonly the seasons I followed while airing (Sequels not included)
(I started Seasonal watching in Summer 2015, all of that can be found in my Blog-Section for now. 2021 on the other hand, I made a couple huge changes in my life, and it shows. Hence why we're re:starting from here!)
Winter Season
Easily one of the best of the recent Isekais, Mushoku Tensei had a severely flawed, but still likeable main character who still has a lot of room to grow, and Tenchi Souzou Design-bu had a colorful and likable cast providing a lot of Animal facts in a very charming way. Overall, while not filled with a lot of heavy hitters, this Season was fairly solid and a good start into the new year of anime! Spring Season
Holy shit, this was a season just filled with shows ready to deliver one puncha fter the other. Starting off, Nagatoro-san stormed the stage with a lot of memes, but ended up delivering unexpectedly on an actually heartfelt connection and a labor of love surrounding it. Fumetsu no Anata E pulled at heartstrings all over the world with only its first episode, after which it went off to see the rest of the world and I'm gladly taking this big boy into the summer season with me. The along came SSSS.Dynazenon to help dry the tears and get everyone back to full speed by being one hell of a good time with giant battles. Shadows House started off as a bit of a sleeper hit, but the solid world-building that was charmingly delivered in bite-sized pieces through the eyes of the sweetest main character in a while and left me hoping for a sequel in the near future. And then, lastly, there was Odd Taxi, so far the strongest Candidate for AOTY. Tight writing that didn't left a single question unanswered produced one of the most satisfying and fun mysteries in recent history, and the wonderful dialogue gave life to all these charming characters colliding with each others lives. A complete experience in 13 episodes that was well worth every single moment. Summer Season
I wasn't too confident in Vanitas despite its production for one reason or another, but this one actually convinced me with flying colors. I loved everything from the production to the characters to the world and everything else in it. I cannot wait for season 2 and am very interested to see where everyone else goes! Right after it came Sonny Boy, a unique show that while I can't say I understood everything, I most definitely enjoyed the whole experience plenty and will be happy to revisit the show in the future! Shinigami Bocchan, while admittedly not being easy to look at, made up for its stiff CG exterior by having a big, big heart, an actual interesting world to explore and plot to boot, even if it was more a taste of things to come rather than a complete experience. I was nevertheless sold on it! And while I cannot speak on where it goes yet, the first half of Aquatope convinced me so far with beautiful visuals and an engaging story and characters. Overall, the stuff that I liked I really liked and as such I can say this way another season low on quantity, but high on quality! Fall Season
Welp, if that wasn't a bona fide backlog season. But after all this time, it was very much a welcome one! Deji meets Girl, while thin on the story, had a lot of brilliant colors and fun sequences, and as such, was a nice little 2-minutes-of-summer-show to just kick back to and Digimon Ghost Game was so far just childish, but endearing monster-of-the-week-fun due to its likable characters, fun digimon, and mostly creative ways to give a new face to older monsters in the series. Trying to guess the digimon of the week before it appeared was fun, and while I don't think this show will come close to the best Digimon has to offer, it has nevertheless been a very joyful experience so far! And speaking of joyful experiences - brace yourselves for Gyakuten Sekai! Initially coming off as a cheap, somewhat sleazy otaku culture parody mech show, I felt myself being drawn into its world and characters, most of which were fun, and even warmed up to the sillier choices of the show, like its mech designs and needing its female characters to weeb out every so often to be able to supply the overgrown toys with energy. The main character turned out to be more relatably dickish than just anime-edgelord-dickish, and the soundtrack tied it all together. And while it didn't quite measure up to its predecessor seasons in the last decade, mostly due to being tied down to rather boring stories that ended up taking up a couple episodes at once, Lupin II: Part 6 still got to shine in the episodic department. It provided some of the most memorable, coolest, fun one-off-episodes in recent history, and I sincerely hope the show does more of that again the next time around. And while I might be sorely lacking in historical context, Heike Monogatari still stood strong with its beautiful, engaging directing, generally easy-to-follow plotbeats and one hell of a fun, likable, complex and strong main character. Though the strongest character of the season could no doubt be found in Ousama Ranking's Bojji. It took just one episode for me to be fully on board with this shows world, style, and especially main character. This show wonderfully combines a fairy tale aesthetic with shounen elements, beautiful animation, lots of interesting character stories and world building, and exciting directing, which made me binge almost the entire show on a single day. In a season with a lot of gems in different, albeit compromised ways, this show stood above the rest and I cannot wait to learn how the adventure continues!
Winter Season
While none of what winter had to offer reinvented the wheel or anything, this season was generally pleasant before anything else. Ryman's Club was a sports show with an interestingly different focus on young adults instead of teenagers, and went back and forth between that and the everyday work of its cast, which was a fun and even mix of things. Tensai Ouji, while initially being a little off-putting due to the usual LN-cockyness of its MC, quickly showed its true colors as an actual tactical battle show and the MC to actually be able to put some action behind his words. His assistant/retainer also turns out to have a much more complex relationship based on mutual respect with him rather than her being secretly head over heals for him tsundere... it was honestly kind of impressive. There's still LN-bullshit here and there, but it was good fun for what it was regardless. Bisque Doll went into the right direction by showing its teen protagonists falling for each other in a very teenage way, even down to them slowly discovering their sexual desire for each other too... had it not been for some anime bullshit and a diminishing focus on the whole cosplay angle, I'd have loved it as much as many others. But, as it stands, it's still a fresh RomCom I hope to see more of. And speaking of Romances to set a nice direction I hope we'll follow up on; Sasaki and Miyano turned out to be a very enjoyable Shounen Ai story without any of what usually holds those back. No assault or rape, coercion or power play here - it's just two boys disovering and exploring their feelings for each other while discovering themselves and it couldn't be sweeter for it.
Overall a decent enough season to start the year on! Spring Season
Continuing the trend of Spring Seasons usually being filled with good stuff, Spring of 2022 offered a great mix of returning favorites (Honzuki, Zero's Tea Time and especially Kaguya-sama!) this season doesn't need to hide its new starts either. Coming off of the heels of one in the funniest manga in recent memory, Spy X Family was fortunate enough to receive an adaptation that matches the manga in quality and love that was clearly put into every frame of the work, presenting a fake family as a real found family and inspiring Spring feelings all around. At the polar opposite of the spectrum, we got Tomodachi Game with an adaptation that looked mediocre in the best of moments, but is surprisingly supported by its strong character writing and well-constructed thrill - it honestly woulöd have just needed a conclusion which shows like these sadly usually don't get. It honestly reminded me of Spring 2020's Gleipnir in how much it looked like your average edgy go-read-the-Manga adaption yet actually had quite some stuff to offer. Paripi Koumei was a consistently fun show that strongly benefit from its very likable main cast, especially its larger-than-life main man Kongming himself. Applying the art of war to music was fun, his bond with Eiko was great to watch, and while the second half was closer to a more traditional tale of an aspiring artist, it nevertheless ended on a satisfying note. Which, again, makes it kinda the opposite to Dance Dance Danseur, which had another ending that has me in hopes of an eventual continuation, but even if we're not getting that, the show still shined its brightest in its realistic depictions of very different people pursuing the same path, their traumas, and ultimately what holds them back. It wasn't always an easy watch. But the main three kids were endearing and got me rooting for each of them - which is what every good sports show should aspire! And last but not least, we got another satisfying two-cours-finished Manga-Adaptation in Summertime Render, with its decent production, especially endearing first half (while the second half that has much more action than stealth missions not grabbing me quite as much), a great conclusion and overall just a satisfying watch that I don't really need to think about again. A strong season all around! Summer Season
This was the dullest season in a long time, my god. Other than some Sequels to shows I already liked - like the interesting new direction Shadows House 2nd Season took the show and its cast in, the long-awaited 2nd Season of Made in Abyss proceeded to crush what was left after that goddamned movie, and Dr. Stone: Ryuusui that does a great job at setting up everthing for Season 3 - the only shows I considered to be a throughly good time were Chimimo, which had cute little relatable hellish situations presented with charming visuals and a cast with good chemistry, and Yurei Deco, a show that mostly lived by going in its own pace and doing its own thing, whether or not it stacked up to a well-rounded experience by the end. It came and went, and it doesn't have as much social commentary to offer as it initially seems, but it had an enjoyable cast and just many little things I liked. More JoJo is also always good news, but yeah - 2 new shows in a season I kinda liked? That's not too impressive. Fall Season
Starting with some sequels and legacy shows, Fall certainly was strong in that department, as usual! Saving Mob Psycho 100 II for later because this one deserves a full rewatch-marathon leading up to it, Spy X Family Part 2 was no less fun than its predecessor and Pop Team Epic Season 2 was just as fun, wild and creative as the original adaptation. Fumetsu no Anata Season 2 continued to build on the original and gave even more and better-written characters to join Fushi's journey than the first season did, and as such, left me wanting even more! As for my favourite legacy show of the whole year, Urusei Yatsura (2022) succeeds at both modernizing the setting and some setpieces while also bringing its own charm to the table. The actors are great, the episodes are fun and between this and the original, I am happy I got a lot of Urusei Yatsura to watch left. And surprisingly enough, this season even had a functional and even enjoyable mobile game adaptation in the form of Arknights: Reimei Zensou. As a fan of the game I might be biased, but it gave me everything; not bogged down with heavy exposition or a dozen character introductions, but instead focussing on the most important stuff: A good cast and the heart of the story. As for other adaptations, both Bocchi the Rock and Chainsaw Man hit it out of the park with a lot of love for the characters and details. Polar opposites in terms of tone, but both very fun in their own right and worthy adaptations just as good as ther source material. And even in terms of Original Anime, fall didn't fall short - Akiba Meido Sensou provided a tarantino-esque perfect mix of absurdism, action, fun characters and even a tinge of emotion, and Kidou Senshi Gundam: Suisei no Majo finally gave us a female-led Gundam show with a fun world, gorgeous battle animation and a fun story in addition! Certainly a super loaded season - so much so, that it took me quite a while to catch up with all of it!
Winter
Look, I swear I'll get to Vinland Saga Season 2 eventually..! In any case, this season was a bit thin. It did things very differently from the original, but ultimately, Trigun Stampede tackles story and characters from an angle different enough to merit this as a companion piece to the original - albeit with the urgent suggestion to watch the original first! This different approach includes talking about details only revealed in the second half of the original adaptation much sooner - so caution is advised. It was a bit hard on the heart in some respects though - so fortunately, the other two great manga adaptations we got this season, namely Tomo-chan wa Onnanoko and Oniichan wa Oshimai provided a lot of fun and very little heartbreak. Overall, an okay season considering I didn't get to some of the most anticipated stuff on here - and one that comfortably allowed me to catch up on other stuff. Spring
More so than any past Spring Season I participated in, this one really paid tribute to spring being known as the season of (blossoming) love. Certified candidate for banger of the year, "Oshi no Ko" featured it all: Romantic love, familial love, fake love, everything. I prefer the manga, but this adaptation is nevertheless very polished and really manages to enhance some of the manga's greatest moments. Continuing the theme of fake love for now, Watashi no Yuri wa Oshigoto desu gleefully plays around with Yuri topes and audience expectations, and even tells a fun story on top of it. The characters are endearing and fun, and I'd love to see more of them in the future. And even for fans of a more conventional teenage romance, Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu and Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru both delivered in spades. Yabai Yatsu had two protagonists from the opposite ends of the spectrum, but that had unexpected chemistry and grew from their time together. And Yamada-kun takes this one step further, by having its characters form a very believable bond despite their initial inhibitions. It honestly made me feel a little jealous, haha (sniff). And last but not least, as has been a trend with recent incarnations, this year's new Pokemon 2023 floats the boat of the franchise with some fresh waves and charming new characters despite its initial school setting. Overall, a solid season to get you into the mood for the rest of the year! Summer
Please note that these favorites are chosen right after finishing a season and won't get altered afterwards, even if I come to like another show from that respective Season better.
I talked to various people who found my rating system to be kind of strange, so I'll put up what each number represents. There are exceptions for any number though, the small comments behind most shows usually indicate that, mostly because not everything falls into one of 10 categories. I think of every Anime with a number to be equally enjoyable, good or bad as any other show with the same number though.
By now I usually drop everything that, at the current rate, would end up as a four or five - except if I get anything besides enjoyment out of it - but there was a time when I forced myself through even shows that bored me halfway through, so most of the <5-entries on completed series are relatively old. In general, I consider everything with a number 6 or above to be good.
A show on my Drop List isn't necessarily a show I disliked. While it is true that I consider the vast majority of those a waste of time, some are simply shows I don't assign any priority to and am indifferent towards continuing, which my or may not change with interesting input or the right mood.
I plan on checking out as many interesting shows as I can - and of course there are the usual suspects as well as pleasant surprises any season - so I drop shows I feel are wasting my time offering nothing all that interesting or fun despite being solid just as quick as legitimately bad or inept shows. Shows with a missing episode counter indicate I watched more than a few episodes, but there is no way for me to tell which ones. Usually applies to childhood shows I had to rely on tv airings for.
Now without further delay:
1 = Abysmal, irredeemable wastes of life time. Anime was a Mistake.
2 = Really bad shows that gave me an unintentional chuckle at best or made me actively hate them. Shows that don't offer anything also belong here.
3 = Terribly put together shows that may have been saved by a few changes or had a lot of wasted potential. Shows that only offer the most basic of things or are mostly boring go here too.
4 = For the most part shows that, while somehwat enjoyable, play it safe, bring nothing new to the table, or are severely uneven. Shows with major shifts that didn't work, or where a good change kicked in too late, and Spectacle shows with no substance go here as well.
5 = Shows I don't consider to be bad and may have more up- than downsides technically, or that have one or a few particular qualities that actually stand out, but don't have that many unique or strong qualities and didn't leave me with a particularly strong feeling, yet are acceptable for what they are, thus, average shows.
6 = Shows I enjoyed, which may or may not have had major flaws that I feel were evened out because they at least managed to engage me. Shows that have a messy execution, but are at their core ambitious and at least try cool stuff that later shows may build upon, or shows that do something basic but do it really well and/or in a new way.
7 = Well-balanced shows I enjoyed quite a bit. Usually shows that didn't take much risks - or took some that didn't pay off - but were still solid in what they did.
8 = Great shows with minor issues at most that I will easily recommend to most people.
9 = Fantastic shows that gave me everything I wanted - or didn't know I wanted - in that genre in addition to something new and fresh, mostly with memorable stories and/or characters.
10 = Exceptional shows that changed my perspective on the world around me and, overall, had an impact on my life one way or another. Shows that deeply impressed me another way or shows I just love for a variety of reasons belong here as well.
Additional qualities that add up with a raising score:
3 Shows that have at least some crumbs of value in them
4 Shows I don't regret finishing
5 Shows that are mostly flawed, but have at least one thing they execute really well
6 Shows tend to have something unrelated to their initial quality that appeals to me specifically
8 Shows I hope to rewatch at least one; Shows that appeal to me personally greatly; Shows that have layers
9 Shows I hope to rewatch again and again; Shows I love.
Some Completed shows don't have a rating attached, usually, the reason for that will be one of these:
1) It's small little shorts, music videos or stuff I cannot compare with the full shows or movies I usually rate
2) It's a short Special, OVA or tie-over to another season for another show. An unrated special means I feel it doesn't stand on its own and as such doesn't merit a rating. I generally liked it as part of the parent show.
3) I feel a previously given rating wasn't fair (for example if I was half-asleep while watching, or associate bad memories with stuff that happened in my life while I was watching, or because I previously criticized the show in an uncalled-for manner)
4) I feel a previously given rating doesn't hold up, for example if it was a show I watched very early into my anime journey, or a show I think I'll feel quite different about upon a rewatch.
And now, enjoy a cup of coffee and watch some good anime!
Tbh, I wish I had looked more into your manga stats, but on your post you said you were open to Webtoons and I wanted to try my chance at recommending one of my favorites. Also you said you had eccentric taste and I wanted to discover how eccentric it really was. I apologize that the violence really wasn't probably what you wanted to be recommended, but I'm also glad that I got to recommend something fun.
Hii!! MY SANTA, HIIIII
Sorry for being a week late, but first fever, now rash-- I just didn't have that time to write and thank you for this amazing anime gift this year.
But I got a moment now!
Thank you for both recommendations. Your santa message made me really happy. I started with the lighter one, Ya Boy Kongming, and I bet you would never expect anyone to say this but I cried while watching it. It kinda reminded me why I started watching anime in the first place. For things that are cool but also surprising. I needed some light tone, so although this couldn't be the main part of the gift, I am so so happy you included it. Watched it whole and once I get a bit better, I am watching the movie too. Right now I am in the middle of watching Kaiji. I wanted to hold off with my opinion about this, because after the card game arc ended, I was unsure if what comes next will hold that emotion. I still don't know, but I am satisfied so far. I like this anime for many different things. First, the whole card arc (if i may call it so) was amazing; then the opening and ending... they are both sure great; but the main reason why I like it is this weird thing... The start of the episode always feels slow, at times bit boring (in first episodes) but then, it gets interesting and suddenly ends-- and each time I go "wait, it's over? but that felt like 13 minutes how?!" and I am not joking. First episode I watched, I thought episodes were half the normal time XDDD It's really good though.
Bit longer than planned but tldr: thank you for both anime gifts! I like them a lot and watching them was and is a joy <333
((also omgg, someone else who likes both vanitas AND gatchaman crowds??? what are the odds?!))
Ooo yes! I love chinese writing when it comes to the manhua / novels / donghua, it’s really refreshing and different after a lot of japanese / korean things. Mo dao zu shi is really good so i can definitely recommend it! I got introduced to it by my bf who has read most of the novels (and I’m still going through a lot of them, i have a few set to finished because im really close but not fully finished haha)
Log Horizon is awesome! I hope you like it. It's a little slow-going compared to most isekai but I like that aspect of it.
Not only is she cute she's good graphic design lmao her colors are so striking she's a little off from any other anime character. She's a weirdo personality and a weirdo look. I respect that lol. my 2 favs are Yotsugi and Kanbaru. Kanbaru is great. Hanamonogatari was one of my more favorite arcs in the show. She's fun and interesting.
Oh yeah Kodocha i loved right away too. I watch it dubbed it's one of the few exceptions lol (not that im too much of a sub elitist I just have a preference for subs most of the time.) I just love it the vibe the characters. It's just so fun and nice and bubbly.
Yes! It is an active discord we got people going at it right now lol send me a message with your discord link or add me mine should be on the profile. I'll add ya to the big group!
Of course! It is about time to entrust you with the forbidden knowledge...
It's the alias of my all-time favorite character, Rinne Amagi! He's a thrill-loving gambler and works as the leader of an idol unit based around a beehive concept. Therefore, he's been dubbed "the gambling bee".
I'm very grateful for the things you've nominated to me. Both Gatchaman Crowds and Star Driver have been on my list for awhile! Looking at your full list now I think you're someone I'd get along with xD great taste Kanbaru Suruga #1 she's great haha also Kodocha. it feels underrated for such a great show don't see it much around any more. I tend to ramble So sorry if my thoughts are messy lol I really appreciate the things you wrote and how much care was in it. Felt special to have something that done up get received (especially with the Yotsugi images, I thought "wow, they really know me" haha)
Your bio says you've taken a break from anime challenges for the main part which I respect I take breaks too time to time but if you're ever interested in more just let me know xD im a slow watcher but I love doing anime clubs and challenges. Maybe we can take more recommendations from each other repay the favor.
I am incredibly happy to receive such wonderful gifts from you! You paid great attention to my wishes and I belive put giant efforts into writing and decorating your message. Thank you! Thank you for all your jokes and thank you for openings and screens. Now I feel ashamed that I wrote such humble gift to my recepient.
And I am incredibly sorry that I made you wrong when I added something in my PTW list. Last year I myself was shocked when my recepint watched show I wanted to recommend them so badly. So I know that feeling and I am truly sorry. That's why I made myself stop watching anime at all for the period of Secret Santa so I don't interrupt you and stated in my sign-up post that you can recommend me things from my PTW. So I thought it would be fine to list some titles.
Akuma-kun (ONA) is a great show I missed. Since I usually watch only seasonal TV show, I miss a lot of great movies and ONAs. This series is what I really like. I enjoy watching detectives a lot and it was right on target. To be honest, I was reminded of L a lot. Some episodes were especialy enjoyable. From third episode I knew that summoning the devil itself costs you 4 ramen bowls. And 4th episode was incredible, showing dual nature of friendship, and other... Well, I feel like every episode was great. I liked how this anime wielded moral choices not giving you answers. Also backgrounds were beautiful. Yes, it looks like it was made for children, but it doesn't feel so.
I really feel like this show is underrated. I will definitely watch Akuma-kun some time later since I enjoyed this ONA.
I knew nothing about Shiki before. And it was perfect fit for my wishes! You were absolutely right! It is indeed capital H Horror. Great sounds and music through all show. I see some similarities with Higurashi, but I can't agree with you that it is a slow burn. I like when thriller part takes more time. But unfortunately for me thriller part ends in episode 5 at most. Still I got giant goose bumps at the end of episode 6. After that there are like 2 "peaceful" episodes, and than BAM! 9th episode creates new wave of horror! Great! Though all out conflict is always less scary, it was stressful enough. 14th episode was really hard to watch. And then we kinda change side and watch massacre... Well. Sorry, I got carried away.
Specials also were intense.
I am really not into gore. I feel empathy with almost every character, so it's super hard to watch someone die. Even if it was a pathetic character. Especially if it was nice character with unnececary death. So I feel very emotional. And I enjoy being emotional.
I wanted to watch Digimon and Pokemon for a long time. But the size of show and big choice of games and shows scared me so I postponed them. Thank you fot that gentle push towards these series!
Unfortunately, this show have almost nothing in my native language: no dub, no full voice over, only 8 episodes with cheap one voice voice over. And fan made subs. Yeah, seems like Digimons aren't popular here :D. I tried to watch some episodes in english dub, but it has so much changes that I didn't like and even absolutely different opening and ending!
I haven't finished it yet but it's enjoying so far (sorry, I was lazy). Though I liked watching side characters (Impmon and Culumon) more.
Thank you for these wonderful gifts! I got a lot of emotions. I hope that you too have enjoyed your gift! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Hey! Thanks for your recommendations! I preferred to focus on the anime of my secret santa but I was able to watch 3 episodes of Level E and it's very intriguing, Baka is really very funny as a character! I haven't started Hack//Sign yet though, I had already seen Quantum because Kana Hanazawa was in the cast but I was hesitant to do the games before seeing Sign but I'll try! I hope you had a great holiday and happy new year!
Well, I was surprised that Seihou Bukyou Outlaw Star was in the drop list. It was one of 90's Sci-Fi trio with Cowboy Bebop and Trigun. Especially since now Space and Sci-fi are rare genres so why not give it a chance. And it has a good BD rip)
Also Last Exile is a pretty unique title (but it's sequel Last Exile: Ginyoku no Fam is bad). Gunslinger Girl in my opinion deserves better too.
I haven't watched Rainbow, so I don't know. But I think GTO is overhyped. You need to study at school, and not be offended by teachers for forcing you to do it, heh.
Versailles has a BD rip. Don't you use torrents? It's on nyaa.si
Oh, I see - all these school romances that have no logical ending and go to nothing.
Yeah, I knew a GTO comparison wouldn't be too bad because I remember reading your dropped were kinda weird, that's why I kinda rolled with it lol.
Don't worry about watching them fast! god knows I'm taking my time watching mine. As long as you have fun everything was worth it :).
![[Oshi no Ko]](https://cdn.myanimelist.net/r/140x220/images/manga/3/233991.jpg?s=e2d0538e4458b678b2e4702a6e7e8272)
All Comments (269) Comments
Solid picks, exactly what I was looking for. Will report back when I watch them o>
Have a great 2025! 'Til next time!
Sorry for being a week late, but first fever, now rash-- I just didn't have that time to write and thank you for this amazing anime gift this year.
But I got a moment now!
Thank you for both recommendations. Your santa message made me really happy. I started with the lighter one, Ya Boy Kongming, and I bet you would never expect anyone to say this but I cried while watching it. It kinda reminded me why I started watching anime in the first place. For things that are cool but also surprising. I needed some light tone, so although this couldn't be the main part of the gift, I am so so happy you included it. Watched it whole and once I get a bit better, I am watching the movie too. Right now I am in the middle of watching Kaiji. I wanted to hold off with my opinion about this, because after the card game arc ended, I was unsure if what comes next will hold that emotion. I still don't know, but I am satisfied so far. I like this anime for many different things. First, the whole card arc (if i may call it so) was amazing; then the opening and ending... they are both sure great; but the main reason why I like it is this weird thing... The start of the episode always feels slow, at times bit boring (in first episodes) but then, it gets interesting and suddenly ends-- and each time I go "wait, it's over? but that felt like 13 minutes how?!" and I am not joking. First episode I watched, I thought episodes were half the normal time XDDD It's really good though.
Bit longer than planned but tldr: thank you for both anime gifts! I like them a lot and watching them was and is a joy <333
((also omgg, someone else who likes both vanitas AND gatchaman crowds??? what are the odds?!))
the ycc stands for Yui Cuddling Club lmao
Not only is she cute she's good graphic design lmao her colors are so striking she's a little off from any other anime character. She's a weirdo personality and a weirdo look. I respect that lol. my 2 favs are Yotsugi and Kanbaru. Kanbaru is great. Hanamonogatari was one of my more favorite arcs in the show. She's fun and interesting.
Oh yeah Kodocha i loved right away too. I watch it dubbed it's one of the few exceptions lol (not that im too much of a sub elitist I just have a preference for subs most of the time.) I just love it the vibe the characters. It's just so fun and nice and bubbly.
Yes! It is an active discord we got people going at it right now lol send me a message with your discord link or add me mine should be on the profile. I'll add ya to the big group!
Your bio says you've taken a break from anime challenges for the main part which I respect I take breaks too time to time but if you're ever interested in more just let me know xD im a slow watcher but I love doing anime clubs and challenges. Maybe we can take more recommendations from each other repay the favor.
I am incredibly happy to receive such wonderful gifts from you! You paid great attention to my wishes and I belive put giant efforts into writing and decorating your message. Thank you! Thank you for all your jokes and thank you for openings and screens. Now I feel ashamed that I wrote such humble gift to my recepient.
And I am incredibly sorry that I made you wrong when I added something in my PTW list. Last year I myself was shocked when my recepint watched show I wanted to recommend them so badly. So I know that feeling and I am truly sorry. That's why I made myself stop watching anime at all for the period of Secret Santa so I don't interrupt you and stated in my sign-up post that you can recommend me things from my PTW. So I thought it would be fine to list some titles.
Akuma-kun (ONA) is a great show I missed. Since I usually watch only seasonal TV show, I miss a lot of great movies and ONAs. This series is what I really like. I enjoy watching detectives a lot and it was right on target. To be honest, I was reminded of L a lot. Some episodes were especialy enjoyable. From third episode I knew that summoning the devil itself costs you 4 ramen bowls. And 4th episode was incredible, showing dual nature of friendship, and other... Well, I feel like every episode was great. I liked how this anime wielded moral choices not giving you answers. Also backgrounds were beautiful. Yes, it looks like it was made for children, but it doesn't feel so.
I really feel like this show is underrated. I will definitely watch Akuma-kun some time later since I enjoyed this ONA.
I knew nothing about Shiki before. And it was perfect fit for my wishes! You were absolutely right! It is indeed capital H Horror. Great sounds and music through all show. I see some similarities with Higurashi, but I can't agree with you that it is a slow burn. I like when thriller part takes more time. But unfortunately for me thriller part ends in episode 5 at most. Still I got giant goose bumps at the end of episode 6. After that there are like 2 "peaceful" episodes, and than BAM! 9th episode creates new wave of horror! Great! Though all out conflict is always less scary, it was stressful enough. 14th episode was really hard to watch. And then we kinda change side and watch massacre... Well. Sorry, I got carried away.
Specials also were intense.
I am really not into gore. I feel empathy with almost every character, so it's super hard to watch someone die. Even if it was a pathetic character. Especially if it was nice character with unnececary death. So I feel very emotional. And I enjoy being emotional.
I wanted to watch Digimon and Pokemon for a long time. But the size of show and big choice of games and shows scared me so I postponed them. Thank you fot that gentle push towards these series!
Unfortunately, this show have almost nothing in my native language: no dub, no full voice over, only 8 episodes with cheap one voice voice over. And fan made subs. Yeah, seems like Digimons aren't popular here :D. I tried to watch some episodes in english dub, but it has so much changes that I didn't like and even absolutely different opening and ending!
I haven't finished it yet but it's enjoying so far (sorry, I was lazy). Though I liked watching side characters (Impmon and Culumon) more.
Thank you for these wonderful gifts! I got a lot of emotions. I hope that you too have enjoyed your gift! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
As always, thanks for your help
during Secret Santa ♥
Hope it'll be a good year for you!
✧｡٩(ˊᗜˋ )و✧*｡
Also Last Exile is a pretty unique title (but it's sequel Last Exile: Ginyoku no Fam is bad). Gunslinger Girl in my opinion deserves better too.
I haven't watched Rainbow, so I don't know. But I think GTO is overhyped. You need to study at school, and not be offended by teachers for forcing you to do it, heh.
Versailles has a BD rip. Don't you use torrents? It's on nyaa.si
Oh, I see - all these school romances that have no logical ending and go to nothing.
Don't worry about watching them fast! god knows I'm taking my time watching mine. As long as you have fun everything was worth it :).